Team Aqua take RC44 Trapani Cup on count-back

The RC44 Trapani Cup really did go down to the wire, the eventual winner not decided until the final metres of the final race of the event. CEEREF, Igor Lah (SLO) / Michele Ivaldi (ITA) needed to put a boat between them and Team Aqua, Chris Bake (GBR) / Cameron Appleton (NZL) to win the regatta. In the last 100 metres to the finish line, Aqua came storming in from the right to cross in front of Katusha for third place.

With Peninsula Petroleum, John Bassadone (GBR) / Vasco Vascotto (ITA) getting the gun, CEEREF in second, Team Aqua had snatched victory from the jaws of defeated, Team Aqua were crowned champions, on count-back of most race wins, and handed the Vito Corte designed RC44 Trapani Cup trophy.

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Third place was equally as hard fought; Katusha, Gennadi Timchenko (RUS) / Andy Horton (USA) did enough to take third place, two points ahead of Torbjorn Tornqvist’s Artemis Racing.

Chris Bake, owner/driver, Team Aqua was first to give his analysis of the thrilling finale. “It was a great day of racing and CEEREF were the team to beat. We lined up with them at the start and were fairly even so I knew we had a chance to compete and sure enough we found ourselves there with them neck and neck for all three races."

"You can never assume you have it in the bag in this class, but it was a pretty strong statement coming out today and doing so well in the first two races. At the top mark (of the final race) we knew we had to beat Katusha to keep the lead so we were taking every wave we could, and keeping the boat going as fast as we could to just nip them to confirm the win.”

With two events completed in the 2013 RC44 Championship Tour, Team Aqua takes over the overall lead from Katusha, with Artemis Racing third and Team CEEREF fourth. The Tour now moves to Sweden for the RC44 Sweden Cup in Marstrand from 25 – 29 June 2013.